enclosed are two openssh packages. The client (including ssh-agent _AND_ ssh-add) and the server packages.

The server depends on the installed client.

openssh-server will create RSA1, (for protocol1) RSA and DSA host-keys if needed and starts the sshd directly via the control-script /etc/rc.d/rc.sshd. There is also a symbolic link from /etc/init.d to start sshd after bootup.

compiled on nop-400 with devx_400.sfs. Should work on dingo.

Deinstallation will leave /etc/ssh/ssh_host.* keyfiles, cause the hostkey never changes.

Thanks Sven, I've just installed the sshd server and it works dandy in Precise 5.7.1, with one exception. X11 forwarding (using graphical applications over SSH) doesn't work out of the box even though all relevant options are correctly set.

I had installed xauth 1.0.6-1 from the Ubuntu Precise repositories, but sshd still complained about missing xauth. Inspired by this lifesaving post, I looked into sshd:

SSH lets you login to other people computers (remote server) from your own (local client) PC, if you and they are running SSH. You login as one of the users on the remote system, giving the username and remote URL in the ssh command:

Code:

ssh user@domain.com

SSH will ask you for the password of the user on that system, when you attempt to login.

However, SSH has its own, better way of authenticating your login - called 'SSH key pairs' or 'SSH keys'.

They're better than just giving the user login details of the user on the remote machine. Why? More secure - SSH keys come in two flavours, DSA and RSA - the RSA keys are even more secure.

Why more convenient? Well, when working with git or logging in & out of a server frequently for any reason, you don't want to give a password every time!

After adding your public SSH key to a server, you can run a simple command on your local PC, so that you no longer need to provide your login details, until you logout (or close your terminal emulator window!).

Don't worry..

It's not that complicated - don't be fooled by long winded blogs about it (like I was).

Summary steps (details follow after):

1. Create an SSH key ( this makes 2 files, a private 'id_rsa' and a public 'id_rsa.pub' )

2. Add the public key to the file ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server.

3. Add your key to SSH-agent (on your local system).

4. Then, login to remote system using SSH, it will ask for your SSH key.

It's so simple to setup SSH keys, and I can boil down the heaps of stuff I had to read into a few simple commands:

Details of how to make it work:

1.: on CLIENT (your local PC), set up the RSA keys, choose a 'passphrase' for your key:

Code:

ssh-keygen -t rsa

2.: Then, on the CLIENT, add your key to authorized list (stored on the server):

(-p port number is only required if connecting to a different port than the standard 22)
The reason is explained here, the gist being that scp does not read data from stdin.
The shortening stuff and the potential permissions problems are good to know about, too, thanks! I take it from your description that bringing in ssh-agent to avoid entering the pass phrase on every login is probably more trouble than it's worth for occasional use (e.g. for remote control). In scenarios with frequent logins that's obviously different.

You're welcome.. And whoops! Yep, you're right, well spotted.. I will update the post. Thanks.

I should note also, once you added your key to the server, it won't ever need to be done again... In order to re-enable the auto login after reboot, you would only need to run step 4 again, then login over ssh.._________________Akita Linux, VLC-GTK, Pup Search, Pup File Search